


Pure Snow

by BlackBirdAolen



Series: Snow Endangered | A Final Fantasy XIII Fetish Series [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII Series, Final Fantasy XIII-2
Genre: Altered Relationship, Alternative Timeline, Different Development, M/M, Paradox, Prostitution, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2019-02-03 00:13:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12737136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackBirdAolen/pseuds/BlackBirdAolen
Summary: Noel, through a tear in the Sunleth Waterscape, gets separated from Serah and Mog. It has far-reaching consequences, which might form into a completely new future...This fic marks 500.000 words worth of fiction posted on AO3 for me. YAY!Got a fanfic idea for me?My deviantART - full of original fiction.Snippets and ramblings on my tumblr.





	1. Chapter 1

Noel blinked and tried to regain his senses after he had tumbled into that… thing. He remembered having been walking around in Sunleth Waterscape. He had separated from Mog and Serah, to wind down a little after an intense battle with a gigantic flan. He didn’t remember how he had wound up here, though. He was not in the Waterscape any longer, but somewhere with concrete ground and voices around him. Noel slowly rolled onto his back. He had landed stomach down, and still felt winded. Getting thrown around between the gates of the different places wasn’t always very pleasant, but he never had been spat out quite that roughly.

“Never going to travel again with Timeline Airlines.” He stretched out and shook his head. The voices around him still sounded indistinctive, and only when he finally could focus on what was going on did he realize that there were people yelling and screaming. He darted to his feet, his heart going crazy in his chest, as he went into a side alley and out of sight of any potential enemies.

It was only then that Noel realized that he couldn’t be on Gran Pulse any longer. There never had been such big cities on Gran Pulse, and it didn’t look one bit like the city he had been to with Serah. This looked like something that he had heard of in stories. Stories about the floating moon above Gran Pulse. About Cocoon.

Bewildered by what was going on around him, Noel slowly sneaked out of his hideout and made his way along the street. There were plenty of opportunities to hide. Someone had put up a ton of barricades, and there were scattered patrols walking around. This looked a lot like one of those events from Cocoon Serah had told him about, and it made Noel swallow thickly. If he was not mistaken completely, then he had landed in a time he had no business being in. He had landed smack in the middle of the purge.

“Hey, what are you doing there?” A humongous looking guy waved him closer. Noel recognized him as Gadot, but held back on saying anything about that. He had already learned that this tended to throw people off, and if he was correct about where he had landed, then he really needed to get going. But for the moment, he would have to stick close to the big guy and hope that everything would go smoothly, until he could rejoin Serah and Mog.

“Sorry, I guess I lost my bearings.” Noel crouched next to Gadot, who nervously glimpsed down the street. “What’s going on anyway? One moment, it was peaceful, the next, all Hell broke loose.”

Gadot huffed lowly. “You really must have knocked your head bad, then. The fuckers from Psicom are here, to purge the people of Bodhum. And all of that because that goddamned Pulse Fal’Cie showed up.”

Noel swallowed and nodded slowly. He had guessed correctly. He had landed in a time which was outside of the timeline Serah and he had pursued to this point. Noel was pretty sure that this was a bad sign, but he had to go along with it if he could. He didn’t know for sure what would happen if he just waltzed off to try and find out what the Hell had happened. He shouldn’t mess around with the timeline too much, outside of what was inevitable.

“What is the plan?” He supposed that if he was to stick to Gadot right now, he would have to go along with what was good for both. “I hope that you have a plan, because I’m just terrified of what is going on.”

“Easy. We fight Psicom, and try to get Snow out of the mess he has gotten his pretty ass into again.”

Noel bit on his lower lip to not let a comment about Gadot’s phrasing slip. He never had heard the big guy talk about Snow like that. It sounded like Snow was a sweet piece of ass to Gadot, which confused Noel to no end. There was no way that Snow was just that to Gadot. They were fast friends, and they had fought alongside one another for an incredibly long time.

“I guess that some things never change…” Noel muttered to himself. Gadot thankfully was too distracted to really listen to what Noel had said. It would have made for an interesting conversation, if he had clearly referenced Snow as though he knew the guy, instead of talking about him like he had no clue about what was going on. A little louder, he addressed Gadot. “Where is he anyway?”

“Probably at his usual place. That would be my guess. And that would be where the Psicom just fucking storms in and messes up everything.” Gadot picked up a gun, while Noel stuck with his blades. He didn’t know how to use a gun, and he didn’t see much practical reason for it. Gadot gave him a sideways glance, but didn’t comment on his choice. “Let’s just hope him and the girls are alright.”

Girls? Noel was even further confused. Had he landed in a damned time where Snow was a playboy? That didn’t mesh with what he had learned so far. And he had no idea how to react to it outside of nodding and going along with what Gadot had told him. He still asked himself what exactly had happened that he had landed himself in this situation. There was nothing about this which made much sense to him.

The Psicom guys turned out to be tougher than Noel would have thought. It was hard enough to deal with monsters, but this was something else. The Psicoms were moving out to get them, but Gadot turned out to be more than a little proficient with a gun. He saved Noel’s ass more than one time in the chaos that followed, while they made their way along the barricade-riddled main street. They were heading towards where Snow supposedly was, which gave Noel time to take in what was happening around him. And he didn’t much like it.

Bodhum was a beautiful city. It was astounding how light everything seemed, but the image was seriously disturbed by how much chaos had broken out. The streets should have been full of celebrating people, and not people getting forced to stand in queues to wait for their purging. Noel still had no idea what it meant. He had found out bits and pieces, about how the people had been herded to a different part of Cocoon, which was out of sight and out of mind of most, but still was close enough for the Fal’Cie to have all the human sacrifices at disposal they needed. But that didn’t mean that they were in a comfortable position.

“This is all just so messed up.” Gadot grunted and looked down the last part of the street. The buildings were becoming sparser here. The center of Bodhum still had offered plenty of hints that a lot of games were offered, but towards the fringes, it just kind of stopped completely. Noel guessed that it was a sign that Bodhum also offered room to those who wanted to unwind without the noise, but he still had no idea why Snow would be here, of all places. Wasn’t Bodhum connected to painful memories for him.

“We need to get in and get Snow out. And the girls, too.” Gadot sighed quietly, and cocked his gun again. “Psicom coming our way, and probably pissed that we beat up a ton of their troops already. We are not exactly in the best of positions right now.”

“It’s not like that would stop us.”

It still took a considerable effort to fight off the Psicom troopers, which left Noel out of breath and Gadot nearly out of ammo. They took five minutes to breathe and make sure that no Psicom troopers were left. Gadot spat out and shook his head, then waved Noel to follow him. Noel sheathed his blades, but he was not sure if he should follow Gadot any further. He already had the feeling that he was seriously messing with the timeline, and this was not helping at all. But he supposed that this still was falling under the “not having a choice” category.

“Alright, it’s just three houses over. It should be smooth sailing from here on out.” Gadot chuckled quietly. “As smooth as it can get with Psicom swarming all over the city, at least.”

“Believe me, this is a cakewalk compared to meeting a ton of Behemoths and fighting them.” Noel was still panting, and he was annoyed about it. He had better stamina than that, but it seemed that the sudden jump in the timeline had somehow winded him more than he would have thought. Or it was due to the sheer number of Psicom troopers that had rushed at them in such a short time.

“I’ll take your word for it. I don’t intend to find out, though.” Gadot shuddered visibly. “Damned beasts are dangerous enough when you encounter them alone, no need to have more than one trying to grab you and chew on your ass.”

“Thanks, but I didn’t need that mental image planted into my head.” Noel stretched and looked around. “Seems like no more Psicom is around. Should I bet on that, or should I rather haul ass and get going?”

“Second option sounds fantastic. Besides, Snow gets bored easily, and that is usually when he does stupid shit. Which, in this situation, would be a fucking nightmare.”

That sounded more like the Snow he had gotten to know. Noel had experienced just how fast Snow was to get himself into trouble, simply because nothing happening to keep him from doing something stupid. He was all for preventing this.

They crossed the last part of the street, and Gadot opened the door to a house that seemed just like any other of the houses in Bodhum. It was clear that it was a very specific establishment, though, when Noel’s eyes adjusted to the dim lighting inside. The walls were covered in red wallpaper, there was a lot of draperies and pillows everywhere, and a sweet, heavy fragrance was hanging in the air. Noel blushed lightly, shaking his head incredulously. What would Snow do in a house like this? Was he really that different in the past that he would come to a place clearly intended for prostitution?

“There we are.” Gadot sheathed the gun with a grin. “Nothing in here that shouldn’t be in here. Snow has been diligent, it seems. Guess he’s passed out right now. The girls should be taking good care of him, he deserves it.”

“Uh-huh.” Noel was kind of fed up with not knowing for sure what was going on here, but he couldn’t just yell at Gadot to tell him what the Hell was going on. That would just have led to confusion, and maybe, to an even bigger paradox. It was already dangerous that he was staying here way longer than he had intended. Usually, he would have gone straight to searching for an artifact, but as far as he had seen, nothing in this place had been, well, out of place. “Is this happening a lot with him, or is this just something that started happening when Psicom dropped in?”

Gadot’s smile vanished, and for a moment, Noel feared that he had messed up. Gadot then grabbed Noel, and threw him over his shoulder, which made Noel huff in protest. “Alright, someone hasn’t gotten to know the hottest number in town. It’s about time that is changed, and before you are going to protest: Snow knows what he does, because he is a goddamned pro at this.”

Noel sighed, and then resigned to whatever was about to happen. He just had a feeling that he would not be prepared for what he was going to see.


	2. Chapter 2

“Gadot, over here.” Snow’s voice was the first familiar thing Noel had heard ever since he had stumbled into the middle of Bodhum. “And bring your friend too. We were getting bored back here.”

Noel blinked when he caught sight of Snow. He had drastically changed appearances from what Noel had grown used to. He at least was quite sure that he never had heard of Snow preferring clearly feminine clothing and acting like he was one of the women of the establishment. Noel tried to make sense of it, but it simply did not mesh with the image he had gotten of Snow. There was no way that this man was the same he had gotten to know as the determined, if somewhat thick-headed, self-proclaimed hero of Cocoon.

“You sat here on your ass for long enough, Snow.” Gadot huffed and pulled Snow to his feet. “Come on, it’s Hell out there, and we can’t let this go on forever. At least get your head into the game for long enough to show the Psicom fuckers that they can’t just shove us around and expect us to take it without complaints.”

“Alright.” Snow got up, and Noel still couldn’t tear his eyes away from Snow. There was just so much lace and so little fabric covering the guy, it was amazing to behold. Even more so when he thought what he had seen Snow wearing before. Had he not been aware of some part of Snow’s life where he had been wildly different from his boastful hero self? Or was this messed up pocket dimension trying to confuse him? He had gone through that already, so Noel began to consider it an option.

“Something the matter with your buddy?” Snow gave Noel a confused look, and Gadot began laughing. “What? Is it because I surprised _him_? Stop laughing and start explaining.”

Gadot shook his head with a chuckle. “I guess it’s because of your interesting working uniform, Snow. But hey, don’t blame him. He was so disoriented that he didn’t even know where he was at all.”

Snow shrugged lightly. “Purge does that to you. There were more than enough who stumbled in here and were so confused and shocked that they needed minutes until they got anything out. So, I don’t blame our friend here. Who’s called…?”

“Noel. Noel Kreiss.” Noel didn’t shake hands with Snow, since apparently, they were already preparing to set out. Snow at least still had his gloves, but those didn’t seem as worn as he remembered them. Maybe something really had become mixed up, and had created something that was not supposed to be. But that thought didn’t sit well with Noel. The Snow he saw in front of him was a human being like himself. Why would he then assume that this here was not as real as the timeline he had known for so long?

“How many are left on the street?” Snow had addressed that question at Gadot, while Noel tried to ignore the half-naked women still hanging around and chattering about the private details of their clients.

“Hard to say, but Noel and I made sure that it’s a lot less. He’s handy with two blades. I barely ever have seen anyone beating a Psicom trooper without a gun before. Well, aside from you, but you’re a special case like that.”

Snow rolled his eyes and gave Gadot a shove. “Yeah, thanks, that sounded really charming.” He then waved them to follow him. Noel was a bit nervous, as he still didn’t know how to react to the whole situation without making it worse. He had to get back to Sunleth Waterscape, and in the correct time as well. But there was no way for him to tell if there was anything out of the ordinary nearby, if the situation he was in was already so goddamned chaotic. If he started asking them about it now, then he was sure that they would point out hundreds of things that were out of the ordinary.

“Where are we going?” Noel had his blades ready, in case they were getting into a fight soon. “I mean, there seems to be a pretty high chance we are getting some company soon, so I’d like to know where I need to go in case things get a little out of control.”

“I don’t think you know the place we’re going.” Gadot was calmer than before, probably because he knew that Snow was with him. “We’re heading for our headquarters. NORA got to clean up here, and if we have our resident bird of paradise with us, just about nothing can go wrong.”

That was another thing that puzzled Noel. Gadot wouldn’t have referred to Snow as “bird of paradise” normally. It usually was less charming names, which outlined how thick-headed and single-minded Snow could be, once his stubborn mind had set onto a specific task. But here, it seemed like the one nickname that Gadot liked to use to tease Snow. Snow blushed, oddly enough, but didn’t comment further on it. Instead, he crouched at the corner of the building, and looked down a small side alley. In there, Psicom patrols were moving. For some reason, Noel had the distinct feeling that they were looking for something, even though it didn’t readily appear like that.

“Great. They’re already on the move. I hope that Lebreau and Yuj are alright. They should be able to hold things down for a while, but if we don’t hurry, they could get overwhelmed.”

Snow shook his head lightly. “Easy, Gadot. I don’t believe that they would be overwhelmed easily. We should pick off as many of the patrols as possible before we move to our base and unwind for a while.”

Noel immediately had a few ideas what Snow could mean with “unwind”, and he scolded himself for it. He had no idea if his assumptions about Snow really were founded on anything other than what he had taken at face value. But he supposed that it was prudent to assume that it would be something that included naked skin, seeing how Snow showed off a lot more than usually.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Noel shook himself out of his thoughts, and went after Snow and Gadot. They had to fight their way along the entire alleyway. More and more troopers were coming at them, and every single time, they were given a quite rough tumble. Snow still dealt quite the punches, but Noel had the distinct impression that he had to rely a lot more on limber movements than really on brute strength and a square stance. It was puzzling to see, but it made sense for how Snow had appeared up to this point. Noel still didn’t get how this could have happened from stumbling into a tear in Sunleth Waterscape, though.

“You’re keeping up pretty well.” Snow shook his head lightly. “I’m surprised. Are you sure that you’re not a l’Cie?”

Noel quickly shook his head. Thinking about what could potentially happen if anyone found out he possessed magic abilities was enough to keep him from using them. When he had been spat out into this timeframe, he had avoided to use magic. The increased reflexes he had been given through the protection of Etro had already been more than enough, but it apparently hadn’t been enough to rouse suspicion – until now.

“But you don’t have anything on you that channels mana either.” Snow furrowed his eyebrows, then sighed and waved his hand in a dismissive manner. “I shouldn’t bother so much with it. If you help us, you are good in my books.”

Noel chuckled and followed them into what seemed to be a small, but unassuming corner of the alleyway. It was a part of the alley which had almost no chance of anyone being able to catch a glimpse of it from the outside, and only then, Noel noticed a panel in the wall which Snow pushed against. It didn’t move visibly, but it opened a hatch that had until then seamlessly blended into the pavement of the alleyway. It wasn’t too dark to see anything, thankfully, so Noel hadn’t got a too hard time going down the ladder. It wasn’t the sewer system as he had feared, but rather something that had been built while Bodhum had been constructed. A strange kind of failsafe on Cocoon, of all places.

“There we are.” Snow welcomed Noel to a surprisingly comfortable hideout for a small rebellious gang like NORA. The floor was covered with soft carpets, there was a lot of pillows in one corner and comfortable chairs arranged around a table, as well as electronics which allowed for them to keep up on everything relevant on Cocoon.

“I didn’t expect that…” Noel looked around and snickered. “You really made yourself at home here.”

“I thought it was just appropriate, seeing how we are watching over Bodhum all the time.” Snow stretched out and sighed quietly. “That is much better. I thought that I had had enough training with three clients today, but it seems that beating up troopers should be put into my standard program as well. A little unusual, but eh, I can deal with it.”

Noel blinked in confusion, and Gadot laughed about him. Probably, he had put on a funnier expression than he had thought. “Snow, don’t go on and confuse our poor new friend. Noel helped us out there, so we really should make him feel comfortable, not like he is in the wrong place.”

“Oh fine.” Snow laughed, and stretched comfortably. He looked at Noel with an expression Noel would never have expected to see on Snow. Those were bedroom eyes Snow was giving him. “But I have to say, I’m pretty interested in how strong our new hero buddy is. He did shove around those Psicom troopers like nobody’s business after all.”

Noel blushed a deep red and stepped back a little. “Uh, I… just did what I’m good at, that’s all. You don’t really have to thank me for it. I mean, a thank you is appreciated, but you don’t have to, you know…”

It was no help, Snow was really getting to him right now. Noel had never known that a man’s body could move with such fluidity and grace, and that was just making the whole situation harder to understand. He had a hard time thinking of Snow as different from what he had used to know right now. Instead, he just saw Snow, how he could have been, and how they could have a chance together. Strange that the thought entered his mind, but even stranger that Noel didn’t consider it so off. If anything, it made sense that he would at least attempt to try with Snow. It might even have a positive effect for his future, so…

“Well? You don’t seem so very opposed to the ideas ghosting around in your mind anymore.” Snow was slowly walking backwards, clearly towards a door that lead to a separate room. The bedroom, if Noel had to guess. “So, what do you say, Noel? How about we are going to have some fun?”

Noel breathed in deeply, then slowly unlatched the sheathes for his blades and put them down. “Alright. If my weapons are kept safe, then I suppose that it is okay for me to unwind for a while.”

Snow laughed and turned around, which got Noel a good view of Snow’s backside. It was barely covered by a bit of lacey panties and… well, nothing else. “You really need to unwind, I already see. Now, come on. I don’t want to wait forever.”


	3. Chapter 3

The bedroom was about as lavishly decorated as Noel had expected it to be. It was weird to see that the room tried to recreate something that could have come straight from a dream about luxury in its highest form. Noel barely dared to sit down on the bed, since it looked like it wasn’t exactly purpose-built. Snow laughed about his reaction, which made Noel feel slightly uncomfortable.

“You don’t have to be too careful around here. It’s all built to endure the weight of five men, if it has to be.”

“That sounds quite reassuring.” Noel stepped past Snow and flopped down onto the bed. Immediately, Snow was over him, and began massaging his shoulders. Noel groaned happily, and sighed into the pillows. “That is so much better than fighting Psicom troopers endlessly. Or Behemoths, for that matter.”

Snow chuckled quietly. “You are fighting Behemoths on a regular basis? I can’t quite believe that. You don’t look the part.”

Noel looked back over his shoulder. “And you don’t look like you could punt a Psicom trooper across the street, but obviously, I saw you doing it.”

“Right you are again.” Snow sighed and then nudged Noel to properly lay atop the bed. “There we go. You are tense all over. Are you really that busy all the time? I can’t see how you get so much training on Cocoon, except sneaking into restricted areas where they have those things all over the place.”

“I, uh, have my places, yes.” Noel was much more inclined to just melt under Snow’s hands. As rough as they still could get, right now, they were hitting all the right spots. Snow was going to get him all mellowed out at this rate, and frankly, Noel really didn’t mind any longer.

“All better now?” Snow was just gently rubbing by now, and Noel gave a weak nod. He was relaxed past the point of being able to think about more than Snow being right above him. With some amount of effort, Noel turned around and looked up at Snow, who looked far too pleased with himself about the whole situation. “Yeah, that definitely looks all better.”

“You have the unfair advantage of knowing what men want. How could I possibly be able to resist you then?” Noel pinched Snow lightly, which caused the slightest of jumps along Snow’s muscles. The sight was more delicious than Noel would have thought. Maybe, it was just that he had Snow so close to him right now. “You already have me wrapped around your little finger now.”

“That was admittedly faster than I thought.” Snow laughed and leaned down for a brief, much too light kiss. “I like teasing men, but making them fall for me usually takes more.”

Noel rolled his eyes, but he was also smirking. “You are just calling me easy, but I could say the same about you. You are just rubbing up to me like you’re needy. I don’t mind it, but I would like to clarify that you are just as needy as I am right now.”

Snow lifted an eyebrow and looked offended for just a moment, before a big smirk appeared on his face. “You actually dare to talk back to me about it. That’s something new, and very refreshing.”

Noel pulled Snow down. At least the talkative and bragging streak had not changed one bit. But he still preferred some silence now, and just kiss Snow until the man was grunting softly. He did release his grip on Snow’s neck after that, since it was a slight bit uncomfortable for the man above him. The gesture was much appreciated, it seemed, since Snow began moving down along his body, and with very clear intentions. Noel swallowed thickly, his heartbeat picking up. This was surreal, and for a moment, the thought crossed his mind that he didn’t want to wake up.

“You are still tense. Never been with a man before?” Snow seemed mildly surprised, and Noel sighed. “No, really. I want to know.”

“No, and it never really has been an issue for me. I never had time, or the opportunity to.” Noel undid his pants. “But I’m more than ready right now.”

“I can see that.” Snow chuckled, then slowly kissed along Noel’s length. He was at last quiet, and Noel leaned back to let Snow do his thing. The soft touches made Noel’s muscles twitch lightly, but it didn’t keep Snow from going further. Noel gave a small groan when Snow laved his tongue against his skin. The teasing sensation sent his mind into uproar. Unwinding always had included beating something up that was trying to make him prey, but this here just was so much better.

Snow was making him melt into the bed, with every single laving motion along his length. Noel panted lightly, and completely ignored any teasing remarks Snow made. There were only a very few, but Snow soon was rather muffled by Noel’s cock. Noel looked down at the man taking care so diligently of him. It was crazy to think that this same guy had beaten up a ton of Psicom troopers just half an hour earlier. But he supposed that it was as it always was. There was more to Snow than appearances would suggest, as it always had been.

“There, that is much better.” Snow kissed along Noel’s stomach, smiling against his skin. Noel could well imagine the smug expression on Snow’s face. “Do you need any more relaxing, or is that enough?”

Noel grunted. He was rock hard by now, and not in the least relaxed. He nudged Snow impatiently. Noel didn’t want any teasing remarks, just some goddamned action. Snow understood the message perfectly fine, and settled into Noel’s lap. From somewhere, lube was pulled, and Noel groaned as Snow slicked him up nicely.

His senses went wild when Snow pressed down, taking him in his entirety in one go. Snow grunted some faint complaint, but Noel could care only little about it. He felt the tight heat closing around him, convulsing around him, and it robbed him of every single shred of decency. Noel gripped Snow’s waist tightly, and began bucking up into him. Instinct was mostly taking over, and Noel enjoyed every moment of it. Snow, going by the moans that soon were coming from him, was enjoying it just as much.

-*-*-*-

Snow looked down at Noel, panting while he was getting handled like this. He had wondered about Noel from the first meeting. Noel acted like they had met before, but soon had started to try and conceal this fact. Snow asked himself if he had already dealt with Noel as a customer, or as a potential enemy. Either way, Noel was now reduced to a grunting bundle of instincts beneath him, and that was what Snow loved to see. Even though Noel was a rather slender type, there was a raw strength lurking in his body. He had shown it off before, but experiencing it firsthand like this was much better.

Snow gritted his teeth lightly, since every deep thrust began to pound straight into his prostate. He had gotten Noel hot and bothered in just about no time, but now, the hunter seemed to try and return the favor. Snow closed his eyes, trying to focus. He had trained himself to endure just about as long as his clients wanted. If it meant holding back for an hour, then he could do that too. Noel’s almost desperate bucking movements threatened to undo this thought. He just wanted to let go like the man beneath him, but he couldn’t do that. It was kind of a professional pride.

“You’re a wild beast…” Snow’s voice was a low drawl between his teeth. Gods, Noel had power and stamina both. Despite how hard the bucking felt, it never lost any of the urgency. If anything, it became even heavier with time. “Are you sure that you’re not a Behemoth?”

Noel grinned and just went on. Sometimes, Snow could get his clients to become a tiny bit aggravated with his teasing, but in this case, it just seemed to spur Noel on to do exactly what he had been doing all along. Snow whined softly, gripping onto Noel to steady himself somewhat. It was incredible to feel him so deeply inside of him, and how precisely every single movement rubbed all the right spots.

“Didn’t think you could make such slutty sounds.” Noel’s teasing made Snow blush. The way Noel had phrased it again gave him the impression Noel knew him better than he let on, but that thought was again wiped away by the pleasure crashing in on Snow. It was damned hard to focus on anything at all when getting railed like that. “But I guess it fits you.”

Snow was about to protest, but Noel had flipped them around, pressing Snow down onto the bed. Snow clung to Noel, holding on for the ride, and desperately so. It felt like Noel was trying to split him apart, but in a way which made Snow feel ecstatic beyond reason. He was slightly scared of that happening. While he dealt with many attractive men in his line of work, he had a firm rule of not growing attached. But he felt it happening already, and it was going way too fast. His resolve, wavering when he just had met Noel. It was a confusing situation.

Another huge wave of pleasure rolled over him, and Snow groaned almost like in pain. Noel was testing his limits, and he hadn’t seen it coming. He gripped the man above him, almost as if he was trying to stop him. Noel barely slowed down, however. Even with how tightly Snow was clinging to him by now, he seemed to be barely limited in his movements. Every single thrust still was powerful and rocking Snow back and forth atop the bed.

“Please…” Snow panted and shook all over. He really was already that close to coming? He really was forgetting all about his rules here, and he could barely care to struggle against it. Noel was giving him pleasure like no client had ever given it before. Hell, even when he had fooled around with Gadot, it hadn’t felt like this before. Snow squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, gritting his teeth and barely holding back an orgasm. “Please…!”

Noel took that as a sign that he was like wax in the hands of the hunter. Snow clawed along Noel’s shoulders, in an effort to not lose his mind. But he knew that it was far too late for that. Noel had him teetering on the edge, and Snow barely thought about giving any indication that he was asking for permission. He usually would have, but with the raw power Noel displayed, it was a hopeless task.

Snow arched his back, screaming his orgasm out at the top of his lungs. He convulsed around Noel, tightening to an almost uncomfortable degree. Noel grunted and bit down on his shoulder, which made Snow wince for a moment. He was not a chewing toy, and he certainly didn’t appreciate being marked without warning. But damn, the orgasm shook him to his core, and for the longest time, he couldn’t do anything but lay there and pant. Noel’s touches now felt like they were too much, but thankfully, the hunter seemed equally exhausted, and was perfectly happy with flopping down onto the mattress next to Snow, to wind down and enjoy the aftermath of the rather violent climax.

“You’re crazy.” That was the first thing that Snow could utter without feeling like he was tying knots into his brain from the sheer effort. “But I guess you have to be crazy if you even take on Psicom with nothing but a pair of blades.”

Noel chuckled, inching just a little closer to lay his head onto Snow’s shoulder. His hair was sticking to his head in some places – it definitely wasn’t the barely controlled mop any longer. “You’re just as crazy, for tickling it out of me so expertly.”


	4. Chapter 4

Noel had the unshakable feeling that after their romp, something had changed between Snow and him. There was something about it that was utterly pleasant, but in a way that Noel had never experienced. It seemed that with them having let go of any pretense that they were somehow opposed to one another. Noel had previously thought that he never would be able to see this version of Snow as the real Snow, but that thought had been pretty much obliterated. He was keenly aware that his actions must have called a paradox by now, but he was already tied up with Snow now, and it would not be changed by leaving his side now.

“Awake already?” Snow yawned and stretched, until his joints gave off popping noises. Noel chuckled, nodding quietly. “I didn’t know that you had that much stamina and needed so little sleep at the same time. That’s pretty damned impressive.”

Noel shrugged and sat up. He rather found it curious that Snow would need so much sleep. He had been given the impression that Snow was still as energetic as usually, barely able to sit still and thus always itching for action, just like the self-proclaimed hero he always was. Which reminded him – Snow had not mentioned that he was the hero one single time during their run against the Psicom troopers. Had he really become that much more subdued in his approach? Well, he had traded it off for flamboyant clothing and an overtly sexual approach, so Noel guessed that he had to just bid goodbye to the image of Snow he had developed in his mind for good.

While Snow took his sweet time with waking up, Noel wandered around the base NORA had set up. He was impressed with how much they had assembled, but he was also concerned about what they really were doing right now. The purging thing was still going strong, as he had understood it, and taking out dozens of Psicom troopers would not stamp out the root cause of the whole disastrous situation. Nevertheless, NORA was fighting on, and trying their best to get those who should have been purged to a safe place. As Noel had understood it, it was just an opportunity to show the people of Cocoon that Pulse was not the monstrously dangerous place it was made out to be. It could also be inhabited, and quite nicely so.

Of course, as he listened to Gadot, he could hear that there were numerous problems. NORA remaining on Cocoon was not really helping to convince the people that Pulse was a safe place. And Noel was inclined to agree. Outside of a couple of people who had accepted that there had to be a couple of guardians to them, who also had to be able to use magic (and thus the powers of a l’Cie) against the many monsters found on Pulse. But that also was an opportunity for them to scavenge for everything that they needed.

“I could always join you and try to show them how to really make use of everything.” Noel thought it at least a viable option. “And there are ways in which you can defeat the beasts even without magic.”

“The people know it, but it still is a completely different life from Cocoon.” Lebreau sighed quietly. “I mean, imagine it like this. You have been used to a certain style of living for as long as you could remember. Sure, the purging option is not an option, but now, you’re forced to live in a way that is vastly different. Much harder than what you are used to. And you are supposed to put up with it, and not complain too much. After all, you could be dead.”

Noel slowly nodded, though he had a hard time imagining it at all. He always had lived a dangerous and very frustrating life, and overall, it had always been difficult to scrape by in a world that had been devoid of much life. But he guessed that while he didn’t understand what exactly was going on, but he could at least sympathize to some degree.

Before he could go any deeper in thought, Snow finally exited his room, yawning all the while. “You’re all griping a little too much about what could be. As soon as we got all the people out of the way of the crazy Sanctum, we can be sure that we have done what is necessary. And then, we can show them that it is not so bad to live away from Cocoon.”

“You’re annoyingly optimistic as ever.” Gadot was laughing, though. “You could at least try and pretend like you’re worried about what could happen on Pulse. We’re surrounded on all sides by Fal’Cie, after all.”

“Yeah, but they don’t really care about us, do they? If we don’t annoy them, of course.”

Noel blinked in surprise. Snow sounded very relaxed about the prospect of having humongous, powerful beings around them, and not having a choice about it. But he guessed that Fal’Cie were just a necessary evil in this world.

Snow then walked over to Noel, snuggling up to him. Noel grinned inwardly, since he could feel the hard on Snow was pressing against him. It seemed that it was quite impossible to satiate the appetite of this man.

“You’re already up for more mischief.” Noel had talked under his breath, and Snow simply smirked. Gadot and Lebreau gave them a questioning look each, then they started laughing. Gadot was coughing from laughing so hard, and Lebreau wiped tears from her eyes.

“You really latched onto him fast, Snow.” Gadot shook his head with a sneer. “So, he’s just what you have been looking for? Good to know that there indeed is someone for you out there. Told you often enough, too.”

Noel had been right about another thing, then. Snow hadn’t met Serah yet, and by the looks of it, it wouldn’t happen at any rate now. He did feel a small pang of guilt, but again, he had no real plans of ending his stay here. On the contrary. He wanted to make sure that he could help here at his best ability, and he didn’t want to leave the comforting embrace of Snow’s undivided attention yet. Besides, Snow was damned good at making him unwind, and that in any way he could possibly imagine.

“I will take care of you later.” He patted Snow’s cheek lightly. Noel still wanted to head out and train for a while, before he had any plans of unwinding. He didn’t feel like he had earned it quite yet, and he liked to stick to his training program. It was just his way of keeping fit, and even though Snow was pouting about it, he wouldn’t just give up on it. But he guessed that he could keep it a little shorter today, since he already had gotten plenty of practice the day before. And he would have to be careful anyways, to not draw too much attention to himself.

“I was wondering, where do you guys usually go for training?” Noel stretched lightly, still with Snow snuggled up against him. “I wanted to get a little bit of practice in, before I really have to struggle in a fight.”

“Well, there is the restricted area. You can get to it via an old sewer system, which is now no longer being used.” Gadot scratched the back of his head. “It leads straight to the food producing area of Cocoon, and there, they also have a ton of monsters. I always wondered why, though.”

Noel kept his thoughts to himself. He could well imagine why they would keep monsters in that area. It was to dissuade people from stealing anything, and to have something at hand in case riots broke out over the purging. It was plain to see, at least from his perspective. But he guessed that he had an unfair advantage over the others.

“That sounds like a good plan. Anyone care to join me?”

Snow nudged him and chuckled. “I’ll go with you. I should get more training in as well.”

The way he had said it made it very clear what sort of training Snow was looking for. Noel rolled his eyes, but he was grinning right now. He wanted to find out just how much stamina Snow had. He couldn’t believe that Snow would surpass him in that respect. The last night had already shown that Snow was more easily exhausted than Noel. And he guessed that Snow was a bit hurt in his pride, hence he wanted to prove that he was just as good as Noel.

“Alright. But be careful, you two. Since so many Psicom troopers had trouble last night, there’s a ton more out there today. I mean, just watch out to not overdo it too much. It could have consequences that we can’t handle any longer.”

Lebreau’s worried tone was falling on deaf ears in Snow’s case, but Noel took the warning to heart. He knew that he couldn’t overdo it too much. If he revealed that he knew magic, then Snow’s first thought would be that he was a l’Cie. While it was not true, it wasn’t strictly speaking completely wrong either.

“We’ll be careful. I promise.” Noel picked up his blades and sighed quietly. Snow had said nothing about the matter, but he guessed that it was just the overflowing confidence again, which seemed to come standard with Snow, no matter in which situation. “I just want to get a good hour of training in, maybe get a few useful materials from the monsters, and then I’ll be straight back to base. I swear.”

They headed out shortly after, and as Lebreau had warned them, there were a lot more troopers around this day. They fought their way to a less supervised area, and then snuck into the tunnel system, which led them straight to the processing area. Noel was staggered to see how it looked. He was briefly reminded of the city that had been built floating next to Cocoon, but he also could see that this here was something vastly different.

“It’s almost haunting here.” Snow shook slightly. He had his usual skimpy clothing on, but it couldn’t be because it would have been cold. If anything, it was almost stifling hot in the area. “I don’t like it here. It has a bad vibe to it.”

“I don’t mind much, really.” Noel had his blades ready, in case any monsters appeared. “Where does this area lead to?”

“I don’t know, I never have gone to the end of it. And I don’t think we should do that now. But we have lead people through here to safety already.”

Noel somehow doubted that it was safer in here than out there, but he was not going to argue. Instead, he wanted to just get to training already. And he wanted to make sure that they were back as soon as possible. He had the feeling that something was in the air, and it mostly really was just what Snow wanted from him now. It made him itch for more, and the sooner he could get to the good part, the better.

“Are you sure that you don’t just want to skip out on it?”

Noel grinned inwardly. “You will behave yourself and wait your turn, Snow. And then, I will make sure that I take really good care of you. That sound good enough for you?”

Snow sighed quietly, but he had a devious grin on his face. “Alright, I can live with that. But you need to promise that you really take care of me after your little training stint.”

Noel licked his lips. “Oh, believe me, you will be more than satisfied. I can guarantee it, and then some.”


	5. Chapter 5

Training in the processing area turned out to be more challenging than Noel would have thought. He was getting some workout alright, and the monsters were just keeping on coming. It seemed that Sanctum had a direct line to some place in Pulse to here, which allowed for more and more monsters to swarm all over the place. Noel didn’t mind either way how it happened, but he seriously had to wonder what was going on in the supposed paradise.

“That should do it.” Noel was drenched in sweat and panting. Even with the powers that he had received through training, there still were limits to his stamina. “How is it possible that so many monsters fit into such a small space?”

“I wouldn’t call it ‘small’ in here, but, eh.” Snow stretched and grimaced slightly. He was just as sweaty as Noel. “I guess you’re used to vast spaces from Pulse.”

Noel flinched and glimpsed over at Snow. The other man was looking at him with a thoughtful expression. “Why would you think that?”

“I just thought that you recognized all the beasts that lurk here, and even I can’t pride myself on that. I’ve been to Pulse several times, to make sure that the settlement we are building up is somewhat safe. But I haven’t encountered all the beasts we have found here. And you could tell on sight what the weaknesses of all of them were. So, you must have been to Pulse on a regular basis at least.”

Noel sighed and waved dismissively. “Would you believe me if I said I was born there?” No use hiding it any longer. Snow already had tickled some secrets out of him, and he didn’t mind confiding in him. If anything, he trusted Snow more than anyone else. “I mean, Cocoon’s general attitude is that there couldn’t be anyone born on Pulse, right?”

“Which is bullshit.” Snow grabbed Noel and pulled him with him. In a quiet corner, under a group of trees that had been planted in a soft patch of soil. “So, what? It doesn’t matter if you’ve been born on Pulse or not. You’ve been out of reach from the Sanctum Fal’Cie, who would have coddled you into a spoiled brat. And it is good to know that Pulse produces such fine warriors.”

Noel laughed, and shut Snow up with a rough kiss. He was flattered by the passionate speech Snow had delivered. But right now, he wanted to relax after a very exhausting bout of training. And he knew that Snow was eager to get down to business, since Snow wasted no time at all getting down on his knees before Noel. He licked his lips, nuzzling against Noel’s stomach.

“You want to claim your prize now, don’t you?” Noel chuckled lightly. He couldn’t believe how greedy Snow was, but he wouldn’t be the one stopping Snow. If anything, he wanted to tease Snow into moving faster.

“Of course. I want to claim everything. I’ve been watching you all the time during our training, and it was damned hard to not just tackle you to the ground and get everything from you right then and there.”

Noel was not surprised any longer that Snow was so greedy. He had realized that Snow would do quite something just to get a lot of fun out of every man he could grab. There was nothing wrong about that, but he still thought it quite a way of living.

He allowed Snow to pull down his pants. Since they both were so sweaty, he suspected that Snow didn’t mind the smell at all. If anything, it seemed to excite him even further. Noel leaned back against a tree trunk, looking down at Snow and watching him intently how he was going about lavishing him with attention. How could it be that a single man made him lose his mind so much?

“You look far too pleased with yourself.” Snow grinned and teased Noel’s cock into hardness quickly. “I think that I would like you much better when you’re moaning and panting.”

Noel lifted an eyebrow, but then grunted when Snow took him into his mouth, deep into his throat, and started bobbing his head with vigor. He would have loved to give some kind of retort, but Snow’s expert mouth was keeping him from thinking straight. Noel could just grip into Snow’s hair and hang on for the ride. It was incredible how the bobbing head was just robbing him of every clear thought in such a short time.

“You’re a smug fucker…” Noel pressed Snow down further, until Snow’s nose was firmly nestled into Noel’s pubes. “But I’d like to see you choke on me a little to make up for it. Sounds fair?”

He could feel Snow shuddering against him, and at first, Noel was unsure if it was pleasure or disgust. But a quick look cleared that up pretty fast. Snow had blushed at his comments, and was trying his best to not choke on Noel and betray that he was quite excited with how Noel talked to him. Noel threaded his fingers through Snow’s hair, playing with the blond strands and grinning all the while.

Snow was getting to it in earnest now. He was bobbing his head back and forth, at least by as much as Noel allowed it to happen. He kept Snow close to him, with barely enough room to properly move his head. It meant that Snow had to keep his nose buried in Noel’s pubes most of the time. And it didn’t seem to bother Snow much. On the contrary, it rather served to turn Snow on even more.

“You are really a very dirty man, and I love it.” Noel groaned deeply. Snow’s throat was convulsing tightly around his cock, and it was heavenly. The heat, the tight feeling, and the pulsing that went through his cock with every small movement, it all worked together to create a truly heavenly feeling. It was unmatched by anything Noel had experienced before, and he had to keep a tight grip on his self-control that he wouldn’t lose control immediately.

Snow was a professional all the way through, but Noel knew that he could make Snow crack a little. He wiggled around a little, then pressed up against Snow’s face whenever he came forward. He did give Snow some slack to move, but not enough that he could have escaped.

With every time Snow’s nose was squished against his pubes, Noel could feel every single shudder against his body, and he enjoyed the knowledge that he could make Snow feel like that. Even more so, he enjoyed the fact that he could return the teasing with every little bit of teasing he received from Snow.

“You are such a dirty diva.” Noel moaned and leaned back against the tree trunk again. It was hard to keep his mind focused on anything at all. Snow was really getting to work. Even with as little leverage as he had right now, he was riling Noel up further and further. “How… How did you get so good at this?”

He didn’t give Snow opportunity to answer. Even if he wondered aloud, he didn’t want to lose this sensation even for a moment. The heat and the tightness were so overwhelming and so perfect, he didn’t want to interrupt it for anything in this world. Even if they would have been caught with their pants down right now, he wouldn’t have cared.

Snow didn’t seem to care about anything at all anymore either. There was something urgent about his movements, and it was clear that he really wanted Noel to cum. But Noel wouldn’t give him that satisfaction immediately. He wanted to make sure that Snow would have to really work for it. Besides, seeing him on his knees and in the frilly outfit just was too delicious. And he wanted to see this for a much longer time.

Noel closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying Snow’s tongue getting to work. He was half sure that some of the movements weren’t possible for mortal men, but he supposed that Snow had had enough opportunity to refine his techniques.

Somewhere far off, a Behemoth was growling. It did reach Noel’s conscious thoughts, but immediately was swallowed by the sheer pleasure that was coming just from having Snow’s mouth wrapped around his cock. He panted, licking his lips and looking down at Snow. This was just too delicious. He gripped Snow’s head, and began fucking him in earnest. Snow had to just relax his throat for him to do that, and he quickly caught on once Noel made the first bucking movements.

Noel grunted, enjoying the sloppy sounds that came from his fucking Snow’s face. He grinned about how submissive Snow looked right now, and how the man was moving towards him, to receive the full force of the face-fucking.

“You really are into this a lot. I should have known that sooner.” Noel could feel that Snow was surprised about his ability to still be coherent. Snow gripped at his thighs and seemed to try and pull off, but Noel didn’t let him. “Come on, princess, don’t stop now. You wouldn’t want to disappoint me, would you?”

It did feel a little weird to talk to Snow like that. Noel usually didn’t talk to people in such a manner. He did put others down for stupid stuff they did, but not for behaving in a certain manner. In this case, however, he could clearly feel that Snow was getting a kick out of being called a princess. That was something new too, and Noel laughed about it. This was just perfect. He wanted to make Snow all hot and bothered, and he really wanted to give him the kick that was necessary for an incredibly heavy orgasm.

Noel kept his eyes on Snow, who was struggling more and more to keep himself under control. He had seen it the night before, and it had been pretty damned hot to him. He had the suspicion that it was kind of a case of pride for Snow to not orgasm before his partner would, but Noel would not let him have that. Instead, he wanted to make it a game. He would challenge himself to make Snow orgasm before him, and every single time after this, he would do that too.

“There you go…” Noel grunted, feeling the warm splatter of cum against his leg. Snow hadn’t been able to hold back any longer, and he didn’t hold back much longer after that either. Snow gave a weak mewl when Noel emptied a big shot of cum into his mouth, without warning him. Noel felt just a tiny bit guilty, but he really thought that Snow should have seen it coming.

“Happy now?” Snow grinned up at him, wiping the corners of his mouth. He had swallowed everything Noel had given him. Noel still was leaning against the tree trunk. His knees felt a lot softer than he would have liked to admit. Even if he had cum after Snow, he still felt quite exhausted. All his stamina couldn’t help him if so much excitement exploded in a single go.”

“Very happy. Obviously.” Noel leaned back against the trunk and rolled his shoulders lightly. He tried to ignore the fact that he really was feeling a bit woozy from the intense climax. But he supposed that he could give Snow at least that. “So, are we ready to head back to the base?”

“Not quite yet.” Now, Snow looked slightly embarrassed. “I still don’t know if I can stand yet.”

Noel had to laugh, it was just too good. “Well, you’re not alone. I’m just happy that I’m standing up against the tree trunk, else I would just fold right now.”

Snow grinned, shaking his head lightly. “You really are a bit of a bragging type. Just a bit.”

Noel made a small “tsk” sound, then sat down with Snow for a moment. “Just around you, really.”


	6. Chapter 6

They had to find out very soon that the commotion they had caused in the processing area had caused the Psicom troopers to search for them. Noel and Snow did take out a couple of them sneakily, but it didn’t help their overall situation. They had managed to go back through the secret entrance and exit to the processing area through the tunnel, but it meant that between them and the entrance to the base, there still were a lot of patrols and potentially difficult encounters waiting. They also heard the growling of the dog-like monsters that usually accompanied Psicom.

Behemoths were somewhere in the city as well, judging by the enormous roars that were heard further away. Noel was worried about the situation, but not as worried as he was about Snow. Snow was concealing his anger about the Psicom troopers, but only badly so. He still was shaking with anger, and on more than one occasion, he had to hold Snow back from recklessly engaging the Psicom troopers. Noel understood that Snow wanted to do something, but they still had to be extremely careful.

“I want to kick them all out.” Snow sighed in frustration and shook his head then. “I know that I can’t do much now, but if I just had a little more power…”

“You put that thought right out of your head.” Noel had experienced what happened when Snow would become an l’Cie, and there had been something at the back of his mind that had told him that Snow’s will could not curb the ticking of the clock forever. L’Cie would always end up as Cie’th at some point, if not a miracle saved them.

“I know.” Snow sighed quietly. “I don’t know what to think of it.”

Noel shrugged and then gently pushed Snow’s shoulder. “We will solve this problem on our own. I know, I’m one to talk… But I can tell you that it is possible even without the ‘blessing’ of a Fal’Cie.”

Even the Pulse Fal’Cie wouldn’t have been a better option, he knew that. Noel still thought that it was understandable that Snow wanted to have more power to fight for the people of Cocoon, no matter how much crazy stuff was happening around him.

“I still want to know how you got that much power.”

Noel bit on his lower lip. How much could he tell Snow? But before he could come to an answer, they quickly had to duck behind an overturned barrier. Psicom troopers were heading straight for them, but it seemed that the patrol hadn’t spotted them quite yet. Noel still didn’t want to risk using magic, but with the increasing frequency of the troopers, it could happen that he would be forced to. And that would just increase the urgency of the Psicom troopers at the purging.

“Don’t.” Snow’s whisper came under his breath. “We take them down the old-fashioned way.”

Just how much had Snow been able to tell from his behavior, Noel wondered? He had to push the thoughts back when they took down the patrol, but he still didn’t feel like they had made any progress towards base. He sighed quietly, crouching back down. He didn’t know how to progress, and Snow had no idea how to go about this sneaking back either. But they had to do something either way.

“It’s just incredible how much they are willing to sacrifice just for the supposed safety of a few.” Snow sighed and shook his head. “We need to find another route. I hate to say this, but we might have to pose as troopers in some places, if we hope to return to the others.”

“Someone is thinking ahead. That’s new.” Noel grinned and couldn’t help laughing lightly about Snow’s slightly miffed expression. “I’m just teasing a little, sorry. I don’t think that it’s bad to think ahead, it’s just funny to see you do it in this way.”

“Well excuse me, but I do have a group to lead. And I still have my duties as a worker.”

Noel lifted an eyebrow. “You take pride in your job, don’t you?”

Snow poked out his tongue at him, but he didn’t say any more. He managed to get them another street closer to the base, but they still were several paces away from the entrance, and would have to cross a broad road to get there. There was no way around it, and with the activity being so high, it would be difficult to pull off without being noticed.

“I’m half contemplating just going fully on the offensive, and making a point of Psicom not being welcomed here.” Snow sighed in frustration. “But if we do that, then it could have immense implications for all of Bodhum.”

Noel rubbed along his chin. “If we do it smartly, we could always just take out Psicom one after the other. Sow fear amongst their ranks. They might be soldiers under the command of the Sanctum, but that doesn’t mean they are immune to fear and wouldn’t dare to protest at all. I mean, it might just work out.”

“That’s not a bad idea.” Snow grinned wickedly. “I think that a treat is in order for that. And since we’re both in pretty good shape still, I’m sure you wouldn’t be opposed to some more action.”

“No, not at all. You know me too well.” Noel laughed, then looked around. “There’s a patrol. They are far apart from one another that they are not constantly within eyesight. It might just work out.”

They had to be very sneaky about it, but Noel found out that it worked out just perfectly. Snow could draw the attention of no less than two smaller patrols onto a single spot, and they could take them all out. Every time they did, they made sure that they were not in the immediate proximity of another patrol. Their tactic was taking effect, and it was just perfect for causing even more panic.

“Heh, they are none the wiser. I never thought that I would be doing something like that.” Snow shook his head with an amused smirk. “And we have taken out a ton of them already.”

“Couple dozen. Don’t brag too much before the end of the day.”

But Noel was more than pleased, too. With how much they could grab from the Psicom troopers, they would have a nice sum of Gil for future investments for NORA, and even for small help with some of the people of Pulse. They could be able to acquire some seeds, and get things running in the colony they had been starting to build up in Pulse. It was good to see that they were getting somewhere. It was satisfying to know that they helped.

After one rather reckless encounter, Noel and Snow had to run across what felt like half the city to get away from the attention of some Psicom troopers. Panting heavily from the running, Snow and Noel leaned against the walls of a small side alley, laughing together. They really were crazy for doing this, but they had accomplished quite something.

“This is just perfect.” Noel took a deep breath. “So, we are now closer to the base, and we are pretty much about to go back to base. Are you ready to, or do you still want to take me for a spot of Psicom trooper bashing?”

“Oh, I could go for another couple rounds.” Snow laughed, shaking his head. “No, let’s head back to base already. The sooner we vanish from sight, the better. They’ll bring out the big guns now, and if they don’t find us, it’s better. Outside of us, and a couple of people who are Sanctum officials, everyone is already evacuated.”

Noel nodded quietly. NORA had accomplished a nearly impossible feat, but it was the best that could have happened to this city. Psicom would have a hard time pinning down where they were, and the longer they could give the troopers a run for their money, the better.

“Do you think that it is a smart idea to just give them such a hard time and then vanish? I mean, they could get a brainwave to the effect that other cities could be in need of purging too.”

“Oh, we will take care of that all, but everything in time. And we should get to some treat for you now. Mind joining me, Noel?”

Noel immediately felt a jolt going between his legs. Snow’s voice had grown sultry and seductive, and that was just what was robbing him of his mind now. Noel followed Snow into the base, as if he was hypnotized. It was impossible to resist Snow’s unspoken suggestion, though.

“You really want to tell me that I deserve a treat? And what about you?”

Snow grinned broadly. “I already got my treat today, remember? Now come on. I don’t want to have to coax you all the time. I mean, how hard is it to just say ‘yes’ to getting a good time with me?”

“Alright, I’ll shut up already. Do you think that Lebreau and Gadot won’t have anything against it? I mean, we are giving them a headache at this rate.”

“Ah, they’re fine.” Snow laughed. “They’ve had it worse when it was just me heading out, without a sexy man making sure that I get my ass back to safety in time.”

Noel had to grin to himself. That sounded a lot like Snow. When no one was with him, Snow would get himself into trouble beyond description.

“I get it now. I’m the babysitter for a troublesome man, and it is my job to get his frilly ass back home, or else Gadot and Lebreau will have my ass for it.”

“Well, I would hope that they treat it nicely then, because I surely was planning on doing that.” Snow waggled his tongue lightly and teasingly. Noel rolled his eyes, but the suggestion in that tone was just too delicious to ignore. There definitely was a promise that his ass was getting a very nice treatment for being such a good watcher over the most chaotic hero of all time.

“Well, I won’t say no to that. But before that… I’m starving.” Noel’s stomach growled loudly to confirm that he indeed needed something to eat. Snow’s stomach followed suit, and they both sputtered into laughter. “After we get some food, we should get some good relaxing in.”

Snow snickered, then pulled Noel with him. Lebreau had been busy cooking, and she greeted them with a slight, playful scoff. Of course, the commotion that they had caused in Bodhum had not gone over without anyone noticing, and there was a slightly annoyed expression on her face. But overall, she seemed to be glad that they had given the troopers such a hard time that day.

“You look like you could keel over any moment.” Lebreau put down their plates, and Noel was surprised to see a big slab of steak, along with vegetables and mashed potatoes, all arranged rather nicely. “You gave us enough resources to get all of this.” She grinned slightly. “You could go pick off Psicom patrols more often than that really.”

“Ah, I don’t know.” Noel waved dismissively, but it really was him trying to keep her from flattering him even more. “I mean, we just did what we were supposed to do. And we are supposed to give the Sanctum a big headache.”

“We do that, yes.” Snow laughed. “No obligations, rules, or authority. Well, not strictly none of them. But certainly not the Sanctum with their attempts to choke us all with their tight grip on us.”

Noel nodded softly, then began digging in. He didn’t want to think about the Sanctum any more today. They had done what had been possible for the day, and they would keep on doing what they were best at.


	7. Chapter 7

Noel felt full and content after the rather nice meal. Lebreau had urged them to relax for a while, and only when they had promised that they wouldn’t overdo it, Noel and Snow had been allowed to leave for Snow’s room. Snow stretched with a yawn, grunting softly. He was a bit miffed that Lebreau had acted like a mother hen over them. But Noel could distract him soon enough from this.

“Hey, you still promised that you would give me a special treat for taking down so many Psicom troopers.” Noel nudged Snow over to the bed, and could get a few kisses from him. Snow’s bad mood was visibly diminishing. “And you wouldn’t want to go back on a promise, right?”

“I won’t go back on it.” Snow licked his lips, and snuggled up to Noel. They spent some time just kissing and exchanging teasing touches. It was nice to get right down to business, but a bit of foreplay never hurt. Noel pushed Snow down on his back, growling playfully. “Alright, I get it, someone is hungry.”

Noel shook his head and laughed. “No, I don’t want to hurry you along. But I do want to get down to the good stuff at some point, at least.”

“I know, I know.” Snow stroke down along Noel’s chest, in an attempt to slow him down at least a little. Noel didn’t mind one bit. He wanted to enjoy every single part of it, and being with Snow like this was far more enjoyable than he would have ever thought. In a way, he was glad that the paradox he was causing was keeping him here. At some point, he would return to the timestream, but until then, he would enjoy his time here.

“You kept wiggling your tongue at me.” Noel toyed with the frills of Snow’s skimpy clothing. “Are you really suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”

“Could be.” Snow chuckled, pulling Noel down towards him and kissing him again. He then released Noel, for him to wiggle out of his clothes. Even when entirely naked, Noel felt just as fine as he would have completely dressed. “I still can’t believe there is so much power in this body. It makes me feel kind of like prey.”

“You’re a predator in your own right.”

Noel then didn’t want Snow to talk any longer, which was why he started kissing and teasing Snow to his best ability. He did feel a little at a disadvantage, since Snow had a ton more experience than him. But it seemed that with his experimenting, he was making up more than enough for it.

“You are such an evil man. I want to think about something, and you just blow my mind.” Snow sighed quietly. “But I guess that I can struggle back in the only way I know.”

Noel squeaked lightly when he suddenly was flipped around. He had not expected Snow to display his strength so suddenly. He shuddered beneath Snow, and even more so when Snow flipped him over and made him sprawl out with his chest down. Noel automatically raised his ass towards Snow, which was exactly what Snow was going for. Noel gripped at the sheets, unsure and a little uncomfortable with the position. He had thought that they would assume a different position, but he didn’t want Snow to stop either.

Noel gave a wavering moan when Snow’s tongue laved between his cheeks suddenly, teasing at his hole with a short slapping movement. Noel jolted slightly, but had the will to keep himself still. It was not easy, though. Snow knew just how to touch and tease, how to lick and lave his tongue against his skin to make Noel’s muscles twitch and shudder. He was a wreck already. Snow would reduce him to a mindless heap of goo at this rate.

“You’re that excited already?” Snow chuckled, slowly rubbing forward towards Noel’s rapidly hardening length. Noel was just grateful that it wasn’t right after he had received that mind-blowing blowjob from Snow. He would have been raw still from the intense sensations. Even now, he still was unsure if he would be able to keep his mind from completely falling apart.

“Just relax…”

Snow’s voice had grown somewhat dreamy, and Noel was blushing from it. He was glad that Snow couldn’t see his face right now, because the constant licking and teasing of Snow’s tongue was testing his composure. He felt that it was somewhat feeble if he would give in right now, and if he already would get so riled up that he had no control over himself. But he would give Snow the satisfaction of getting him heated up like this, if he just went on like this.

Snow grunted softly, pulling Noel’s cheeks apart and really going to town on him. Noel moaned unsteadily, wiggling beneath Snow and trying to get away from the sensation, while at the same time craving more. Caught between the two wildly different thoughts, Noel could do little but shudder and endure the unbearable pleasure crashing in on him. He quivered and panted all over, and by the time Snow finally gave him a small break, he was hard, dripping, and about ready to admit defeat.

“That riled up already?” Snow chuckled lightly, brushing along Noel’s lower back. “I didn’t know that I had such an effect on you.”

“Stop bragging…” Noel’s protest was weak. He wanted to appear composed, but it was impossible by now. He just thought that it was impossible to resist the charm of Snow. If there was just so much expert care carried out, how was he supposed to keep a clear mind at all time? Besides, it was his time to unwind and relax.

“You need to grow much more relaxed, Noel…” Snow’s tongue went back at teasing him, even playing at penetrating the quivering ring muscle. Noel flinched and yelped in protest. “See? You’re still all tensed up. So, let me just do my thing, and I will give you the best time you could possibly imagine.”

Noel had already a hard time to imagine anything that was better than getting Snow to take good care of him. But the small teasing of Snow’s tongue alone had already whipped his imagination and his lust into a frenzy that was completely new to him. Noel finally forced himself to relax against the bed and stop gripping at the bedsheets so much. He wanted to show Snow that he trusted the man, and with this gripping, he would not show that.

“Alright…” Noel swallowed and melted against the bedsheets. Snow’s tongue picked up its pace again, and once more, Noel was moaning and shuddering all over. He did tense up intermittently, but he at least had himself under control better. He was not moving away from Snow any longer, and he also was no longer worried that he might not like it all that much. Snow was giving him such careful attention, it was impossible to dislike it.

For long moments, the only audible sounds between them was the rustling of the bedsheets, Snow’s licking motions, and Noel’s panting, as he was overwhelmed by pleasure. He just let it wash over him and carry away any worries or thoughts he could possibly still have held. Nothing remained but the pleasure that originated from the laving motions.

“There we go…” Snow chuckled, and Noel grunted as he sank completely into the sheets. His knees had finally buckled and given way, and he felt the hot sticky mess against his belly. He had been so overwhelmed by pleasure that he couldn’t have possibly held back the immense climax that had rocked him. Noel looked back over his shoulder at Snow, who slowly snuggled up to him. Neither of them minded the stains that this would leave on the sheets. It was nothing of concern right now. At that moment, only their combined panting was important.

“I knew that I could get you to cum before me at least once.”

Noel gave a small grunt, but didn’t really return the teasing Snow had delivered. Instead, he was just happy that he hadn’t lost his mind completely from just getting rimmed by such an expert mouth. They slowly adjusted themselves to lay next to one another, and Noel just snuggled up to Snow. He was exhausted, but it was the best kind of being exhausted he had ever known.

“There we go. All content.” Snow smiled, nuzzling Noel’s sweaty hair. Very remotely, Noel was aware that Snow hadn’t cum yet, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to move in any way. If anything, he really wanted to just lay there and enjoy winding down.

“Are you sure that you haven’t cum before me?” Noel couldn’t resist either way. Snow had a way that would make Noel want to tease him whenever the opportunity arose. “After all, you do seem to have quite the trouble controlling yourself around me.”

“I’m sure.” Snow laughed and snuggled up to Noel. His still rock-hard erection confirmed his claim. He hadn’t cum yet. Noel felt kind of bad about it, but he really needed some rest just now.

Noel gave himself a minute to breathe. Then, very slowly, he snuck his hand down between them, and gripped Snow’s erection. It still was hard, which mostly could be blame on the fact that Snow hadn’t stopped rubbing himself at least a little against Noel. Noel snickered about Snow’s half-hearted protest. His hand kept on rubbing, slowly but surely, and soon enough, Snow was the panting mess of the two of them.

Licking his lips, Noel tightened his grip lightly, just to see how much of a reaction he could get out of Snow. It was a beautiful sight, with Snow arching his back like that, and giving him an expression that clearly showed that Snow was ecstatic. He probably had held back all the time while he had rimmed Noel.

“There you go. You really needed that, didn’t you?” Noel kissed the side of Snow’s head, chuckling quietly. “There you go, princess. I think that you are just too shy to ask for it.”

Snow gave a protesting sound, though it was not really clear whether he protested that he needed it so badly, or that he would have been too shy to ask for it in the first place. Noel didn’t care either way. He just kept on rubbing along Snow’s length, until he felt the tell-tale tightening. There was just so much pent up lust in Snow right now, it was just a matter of time until he would explode from the pleasure he was receiving.

“Noel…!” It was a delicious whine, and Snow gripped tightly onto Noel as he splattered cum against Noel’s stomach. Noel sighed quietly, then let go of Snow. He nuzzled his face gently, and didn’t let him go from his embrace.

“There. Now was that so bad?”

Snow gave no response. He just was panting against Noel’s shoulder, and had snuggled up tightly against him. It was getting kind of cold without having Snow riling him up. Noel made an effort, and snatched up the blanket to pull it closer, before he wrapped them up in it. It was nice and warm, but it would also stain the blanket with more cum. Not that either of them minded really.

“I change those sheets twice a day, usually.” Snow’s muffled, tired comment on it made Noel laugh. “No, really. It’s hard keeping up with how much of a mess my clients usually create.”

“I guess that it is just their way of showing you some appreciation.” Noel yawned and pressed up against Snow, sighing in pleasure. It was warm and cuddly now. And that was just what he had needed after a long day like this. Snow really knew how to work him, and he had the sneaking suspicion that there was still a lot more trouble to come and navigate for them.


	8. Alternative Chapter 7

Noel felt full and content after the rather nice meal. Lebreau had urged them to relax for a while, and only when they had promised that they wouldn’t overdo it, Noel and Snow had been allowed to leave for Snow’s room. Snow stretched with a yawn, grunting softly. He was a bit miffed that Lebreau had acted like a mother hen over them. But Noel could distract him soon enough from this.

“I tell you, waiting for this was incredibly rough.” Noel sighed and grinned at Snow, pushing him backwards through the door into the room. Snow obliged happily, grinning just as broadly as Noel. “And you gave me plenty of signs that you want to have me in your bed as soon as possible.”

“I did promise you a treat, and that is what you are getting. I’m your treat.” Snow splayed out on top of the bed, wriggling lightly to entice Noel further. Noel growled playfully, climbing over Snow. There was definitely much promise in the way Snow behaved. “Or aren’t you happy with that?”

“I’m more than just happy with that.” Noel grinned and then playfully bit the side of Snow’s neck, which caused the male beneath him to protest with a weak sound. They did wrestle for a moment, but Noel kept Snow pretty well under control. “What, you are the one not happy with it now?”

“If you would use me less as a chewing toy…” Snow poked out his tongue at Noel. “I would be more than happy to be of different service.”

Noel growled lightly, but he did flip Snow around and smacked his bottom slightly. A devious thought entered his mind, but he wanted to make Snow wait for it for a while. Snow had challenged him, and he would get the payback for that. Noel generally didn’t like putting people down just for the sake of it, but in this case, he supposed that it was about high time that Snow got a bit of a revenge for his constant teasing and generally being so delicious all the time.

“Can you hold still for a moment?” Noel grinned inwardly, while he tried to keep a cool expression on the outside. This was a game, and he wasn’t the best at it. But if he kept his focus now, then he could hold out long enough for Snow to get impatient. And from what he had seen, it didn’t take much for Snow to get to that point, especially when confronted with the prospect of sex. “Just for a moment. I just want to see you actually being able to pull it off.”

Snow laid still for all but ten seconds. He soon began squirming, which mostly seemed to stem from Noel just looking at him. It was incredible to see Snow’s muscles working and twitching, in a feeble attempt to stay still. It was a lost cause already, and Noel knew it. He chuckled, and Snow blushed, both from being embarrassed and being angered about the holdup.

Noel grabbed Snow before the other had any chance at retaliating for the short time of enduring no action. He flipped Snow onto his stomach, which again made the other male protest with a whine. Noel chuckled, well aware that Snow had hoped to overpower him after their little excursion. He had more stamina than that, though.

“How are you still so strong…?” Snow huffed, fighting Noel a little while Noel tried to get Snow naked as fast as possible. “You did more fighting than I did against that Behemoth!”

“Yes, but I’m also used to more.” That was about the entire explanation Noel was willing to give. Right now, he needed to get Snow naked and ready to get riled up like never before. He had waited for the entire hunt they had done, and was about as ready to blow as Snow. He still had something at the back of his mind he wanted to try. Snow liked to act all smug and like he knew everything about Noel’s body. It was probably true, but Noel wanted to prove that he knew just as well as Snow how to make a man lose his mind.

It was surprisingly difficult to strip Snow of his panties. The fabric just clung so tightly to him, it required some patience on Noel’s behalf to get it down along Snow’s thighs. As soon as he had the fabric there, though, he paid it no more attention. Instead, he grabbed Snow’s ass cheeks, pulling them apart briefly. Snow got the hint, since he ground back against Noel and moaned softly. He already was hot and bothered, but Noel would not let him get away quite so easily.

With a smack of his lips, Noel leaned closer, at first only teasing at what he intended with the tips of his fingers. Snow groaned, pressing back against him again. He wanted it so much, it was almost making Noel laugh. Just almost. He was about as desperate as Snow, and he couldn’t wait much longer. With a playful growl, he pulled apart Snow’s ass cheeks, and went right for the prize.

Snow moaned shakily and in surprise as Noel’s tongue passed between his ass cheeks. He shuddered all over, and just for a moment, his fingers dug into the bedsheets. The sight alone was giving Noel a good idea just how much Snow enjoyed it. He teased again, just with the tip of his tongue, before he gave another broad, wet lick. The twitching beneath his fingertips was delicious beyond words, and for a moment, Noel had to take a deep breath, just to keep himself from getting too greedy.

Snow soon enough was mewling beneath him, his thighs quivering with every time Noel’s tongue moved just the slightest bit. Noel tested Snow’s limits, switching up things repeatedly. One moment, his tongue was teasing at pushing into Snow, the next, it was just fast, hard licks along the deep valley between Snow’s cheeks. There was no way Noel would let him get off easy. At least not without having teased him straight to orgasm and then some.

“Noel, please…!” Snow’s panting was becoming more uncontrolled, and he was just short of hyperventilating. Noel did relent a little, just to let Snow catch his breath again. One of his hands slowly snuck forward, gripping Snow’s cock. It was hard and pulsing, but not dripping yet. It seemed that the licking had coaxed Snow into hardness so rapidly that his body had barely had time to process what was happening. Noel was rather flattered, but he also felt that this was a good sign that he was doing just the right thing.

He never really had done this before, but with how many clues Snow was giving him, it was easy for Noel to determine what really got Snow going, and what just gently coaxed him further. Noel licked his lips, needing a brief break. By then, Snow was dripping already, and he was panting heavily. He had grown all sweaty and shuddering, and it was the most delicious sight for Noel in a long time. Snow could be all confidence and smug grinning, but seeing him fall apart from just his tongue gave Noel a huge confidence boost.

“You’re such a bastard…” Snow groaned, squeaking in surprise when Noel gave him a sharp slap. “Hey!”

“You’re the one complaining, even though you’re getting all the attention.” Noel snickered, wetting his tongue again. “It’s kind of cute, though.”

Snow was just about to protest the ‘cute’ aspect, but Noel shut him up with another wet lick. Snow whimpered, nuzzling into the bedsheets and just pushing back against Noel. That was the opportunity to really go to town on Snow. Noel buried his face between those firm ass cheeks and licked and nibbled along the skin, teasing at the twitching hole repeatedly, and sometimes sliding his tongue inside. That alone got Snow to almost howl with pleasure, and the way his body moved with every lap of Noel’s tongue gave away just how close he was to orgasm. But again, Snow was trying his hardest to not just lose control.

Slicked up as he was, Noel took the opportunity to push into Snow. That got another strained moan from the man beneath him, and Noel could feel how Snow tightened around him repeatedly, almost as if he was trying to coax Noel’s orgasm out of him immediately.

“Please… fucking please, just give me…” Snow’s voice faltered into incoherent mumbling. Noel just slowly thrusted into him, enjoying every small twitch he was feeling around him. Snow was hot, almost smoldering around him, and Noel felt like he was about to melt.

He looked down at Snow, who only was holding his backside up on his knees by now. His arms had given in some time in the middle of the rimming, and his upper body was pressed down against the fabric. Noel actually had to support him a little after some time. Snow’s body seemed to have lost any semblance of self-control, which matched the incoherent mumbling that still fell from Snow’s lips.

Noel grunted, gripping onto Snow’s waist and thrusting deeply into Snow. He lost his self-control for a moment, and just plowed into the tight hole, which was constricting around him almost painfully. Noel scratched along Snow’s back, his eyes closed and his hips just going at it. He would fill Snow up good, and he didn’t care whether or not Snow would hold back. As far as he was concerned, it would be impossible for Snow to remain controlled beneath him.

Just as the thought had passed his mind, a loud, almost pained moaning came from Snow, and he tightened around Noel like never before. Noel had to hold still, but it already was too late. He groaned and shot his load into Snow, while Snow was spraying his cum against the sheets. They both panted, but Noel still was holding himself upright. Slowly, he pulled out of Snow, smirking about how completely drained Snow looked.

“Shit…” Noel bit his lower lip, then bent his head down and bit on Snow’s right cheek. Snow grunted, but didn’t have the energy to protest any longer. He did moan unsteadily, though, when Noel again teased his tongue along his hole. The way his muscles shuddered and contracted beneath Noel’s touch was just too delicious.

“I think I got a treat alright.” Noel finally allowed Snow to lay down. Snow was completely out of breath, which flattered Noel even further. He had a suspicion that Snow rarely allowed anyone to rim him, with the result being quite overwhelming even for him.

Snow finally pulled Noel down to him, chuckling quietly. “You’re just plain crazy. I thought that, just for a moment, I was about to lose my mind.”

“Then I achieved exactly what I wanted to.”

Noel nuzzled his nose into Snow’s hair and breathed in deeply. That was a highly satisfying end to a long day. He had imagined what it would be like to have Snow move beneath him, and the real thing had far outdone any expectations he had held previously.

“If we do that every day, then I might not be able to sit at some point.” Now, Snow was laughing. “My legs are hurting like Hell just from keeping it up for so long. And shuddering that much didn’t help either.”

Noel laughed, pulling Snow tightly against him. They shared their body warmth, and the added blanket that soon followed was keeping it nice and cozy between them. Snow’s legs still felt tense, which he claimed was all Noel’s fault. Noel gladly took the blame for that. If the result of him rimming Snow was Snow being almost unable to get his legs to obey him any longer, then it had been just perfect.


	9. Chapter 9

The next couple of days were rather exhausting for all of them. Since Bodhum was fully evacuated, NORA had decided to follow the people down to Pulse, to make sure that the Sanctum wasn’t getting any bright ideas about attacking the settlement while they were still absent. While everything was getting organized, Noel felt a little more out of place than before. He knew that he still had an obligation to fulfill, but there was nothing he could do to really get to a gate. If anything, he was surprised that he hadn’t found on long before. He couldn’t imagine that, if he was supposed to return to the time stream, that he would have to look in impossible places for a gate.

“You look a little disoriented, Noel. Did you forget your task already?” Yuj was giving him a questioning look, but then hesitated. “I shouldn’t say that, huh. Alright, alright, I will just go back to my own task. Sorry that I even got that idea.”

Noel shrugged lightly, slightly confused why Yuj even went about that route of thinking. Was there something about his behavior that would have suggested that he had something on his mind? He guessed that his hesitant way of moving around right now could have been a big flag, but outside of Yuj, no one had acknowledged that.

He then went about helping the members of NORA to get everything ready. Of course, they couldn’t take everything with them, as that would have required a ton more manpower. But they could take many essentials with them. Lebreau had packed a good number of medikits, Gadot had gathered a couple of weapons that still would be of good use during hunting, and Yuj and Maqui were mostly occupied with gathering materials from the base that would be immensely important in New Bodhum.

Noel asked himself how they were supposed to get down from Cocoon, but he soon realized that the group had assembled means to go down to Pulse without having the Sanctum snooping around. They made their way for a part of Cocoon that was vastly different from the rest – the Vile Peaks. This one part of Cocoon, which was visibly marred by the war that had been raging between Cocoon and Pulse, was their hiding place for a ship that would take them down to Pulse. Apparently, they had used the rather sizable airship to run errands between Pulse and Cocoon, but also to evacuate people. It had taken a lot of runs, but since the Sanctum was not very keen on coming here, it had been one of the most secure locations to do that.

Noel was a bit apprehensive about the airship, which didn’t look too modern. It really looked like a dilapidated rust bucket, but under the stained hull, the airship was still running perfectly fine. They did have a little trouble getting down to Pulse, since a Pulse Fal’Cie took unwelcomed interest in the flying object, but they could finally loose it in the skies over the Archylte Steppe. Gadot made a sweeping turn, and they approached an unassuming part of Pulse. Noel’s eyes widened when he finally caught sight of the new settlement then. It was rather sprawling, since most of the houses were built after the example of Bodhum’s wooden holiday houses.

“That’s the settlement?” He could barely believe it. There were hundreds of people there, and all seemed to be busy at work. He could also see why – the beach along which the settlement had been built promised a good opportunity to fish, there were several patches of crops growing a bit further inland, and all in all, the people were also fighting off a ton of monsters while they were tending to their daily tasks.

“That is incredible…” Even with what he had seen by now, Noel never could have imagined that Pulse would be inhabited like that again. New Bodhum, as he had experienced it with Serah, had been a much smaller settlement. Oerba, abandoned as it had been, wouldn’t have offered enough space for that either. And what he remembered from his home was a very tiny settlement, a couple of people, and even that falling apart rather rapidly.

“It is, yes.” Snow smiled lightly. It was visible that he was proud of their work, and that was something to really be proud of indeed. “We taught them that it isn’t bad to work for your food. And most of them have immediately taken to it when they realized just how rewarding it can be. Of course, we were blamed that we were a bit hypocritical, but that was soon over when we taught them how to work with a Behemoth to get most of the meat out of it.”

Noel’s face scrunched up lightly in a grin. “Well, it is a bit difficult to imagine that a predator has such good meat. After all, it usually is the prey that has the good meat, and the predators usually taste a little… iffy, if you ask me. I didn’t believe that Behemoths could make such good food until I was shown how to prepare the meal correctly.”

That of course piqued Snow’s attention immediately. “Who taught you that?”

Noel squirmed a little, since everyone was looking at him now. “It was an old friend. The one who taught me to go to my limits and beyond, to become stronger in order to protect those I love.”

Snow slowly nodded, but didn’t pry any further. It was probably an answer that satisfied him, but the rest of NORA didn’t look entirely convinced. They still had some misgivings about his backstory, it seemed, but Noel couldn’t care much about it. He had come here not out of his own will, but willed by something outside of his control. Maybe, though, it was just what he had needed to do.

“We’re landing now.” Gadot commanded them back into their seats, and Noel held on a little for the bumpy landing. He swallowed thickly, but he still could keep his composure, even though he felt nauseous with the rumbling that went on while they were touching down. They got off the ship to be greeted by a sizable group of people, who immediately set to work unloading everything they had brought along.

Noel helped as well, but at some point, he noticed that he had lost sight of Snow. He did catch him only later on, seeing him with a couple of men and teasing them about something. He did feel a small pang of jealousy, but he quickly brushed that away. Snow had a certain way of living, and he had already gotten a lot of attention from Snow either way.

He couldn’t help but feel a bit unwell about Snow’s prostitution habits, but at the same time, he understood that it was Snow’s was of helping out. He relieved tensions that way, and satisfied needs that arose naturally along the line. That didn’t change Noel’s unwell feeling about it. He didn’t want to be the jealous lover, but Snow had really given him the feeling that he was the only one who mattered.

Later that night, when Noel sat at the beach and watched the waves gently splashing against the shoreline, he still pondered why he was feeling that way. He always had been used to feeling strongly about the people around him, and trying his best to express it. But with Snow, he encountered trouble he never had thought he would.

“There you are.”

Snow came up behind him and sat down next to him, looking at him with a questioning gaze. He was slightly worried, Noel could see that from him. Noel turned his head away for a moment, but he already knew that he would have to answer Snow, if he hoped to sort this out.

“I just saw you with the men while I was working with the others.” Noel found it hard to get the words out, even though they all were in his mind. He didn’t want to accuse Snow of what he had been doing all along, but found it hard to forgive him for just going back to it so easily either. “I… I just thought…”

“You are jealous.” Snow stated it as a simple fact. He scooted closer, leaning against Noel. “I should have known, and I’m sorry.” For a moment, there was only the rushing of the waves. “If it is any consolidation, I didn’t feel so well when being with them either. I constantly was thinking about you.”

Noel blinked in surprise, then sighed quietly. “Well, I guess we are tied up with one another now, aren’t we?”

Snow chuckled quietly. “It seems that we are connected, yes. I don’t mind, but it does make my line of work a little more difficult.” He paused for a moment, then leaned his head on Noel’s shoulder. “I could always change to the hunters. They are bringing in the meat part of our food, and I would love to help with it. If I can’t properly work in my old profession, I at least should pick up something new I’m good at.”

Noel smirked, and finally, the uncomfortable feeling between them vanished. Noel couldn’t explain why, but Snow’s earnest admission that he had felt so unwell was giving him a pretty good feeling. There was something so unsettling about the jealousy he had felt that Noel was all the more relieved that everything seemed to be cleared up already.

“I do have to ask you, though.” Snow looked at Noel with a strangely concerned expression. “Don’t you think that I will let a lot of people down, if I just announced it like that?”

Noel leaned his head to the side. “I guess that some will be disappointed, but they have to understand that you can’t do something that you don’t feel comfortable about.”

Snow nodded slightly, then leaned fully on Noel again, falling silent. Noel looked back up towards the stars. They were numerous in the sky above, and Cocoon was shining in the distance. It looked like a very strange moon, floating so high above like that. He had no plans to return to this satellite to Pulse. That was all he could think about Cocoon any longer. It was an imitation of Pulse, used to coddle humans into lazy, self-absorbed beings. Well, there were exceptions, but they seemed to be few and far between.

“I hope they understand.” Snow sighed and closed his eyes. “I just don’t feel like I could take the strain for more than a few days, before something would go a bit wrong in a session, and then I’d have to deal with the fallout.”

“What, is it that important to keep your boyfriend secret?”

Snow began snorting with laughter, and hit Noel lightly. It still hurt enough, since Snow was definitely not just a scrawny guy. He at least was grinning broadly again.

“That is exactly the problem, and it is not funny!” He wiped his face, but the smile didn’t fade. “Yes, it is kind of important. But I’m not good at keeping that secret. I want the world to know, and I guess that I will have to switch occupations, then. No one wants to hear someone comparing experiences in bed while they are trying to shack.”

Noel grunted softly, then got up and pulled Snow to his feet. “Okay, then we head out together tomorrow. But don’t you think that I will treat you like a beginner. I know you can hit hard, and in that case, you will really have to work to keep up with me, understood?”

“Understood.” Snow yawned lightly. “It’s time for us to go to bed, I guess. We have had a long day, after all. Moving all that stuff really took it out of me.”

“Yeah, me too.” Noel stretched contently and pulled Snow with him. “And tomorrow, I will make you work. A lot.”


	10. Chapter 10

Noel headed out bright and early, with a very tired Snow in tow. Apparently, Snow hadn’t expected that it would be quite that early. They had taken a small breakfast with them, and now were heading towards the Archylte Steppe proper. There, according to Snow, they had the biggest chance of encountering of Behemoths. And that was exactly what Noel wanted to hunt today.

He didn’t know how strong the Behemoths would be, compared to the Behemoths he had experienced before. Behemoths always were a bit of a problem, but they always were slightly different from one another. Noel was sure about one thing, though. Him and Snow should be able to take down one of the humongous beasts. Snow had the brute strength to do it, and there would always be the possibility to use magic in case of an emergency.

“We should watch out, though.” Snow had woken up while they had headed along the coastline, skirted inland, and had come to an outcrop of the Archylte Steppe. From there, Noel could already see what they should be watching for. They had come to a part that was riddled with Adamantortoises. They were really enormous, and Noel had only ever seen one of the gigantic beasts, in a future version of the Archylte Steppe. But this here showed him rather impressively that there was a vast difference between the single beast and the countless ones which were slowly moving across the Steppe like that.

“I can see what you mean. Wouldn’t want to get squished under tortoise feet.” Noel sighed quietly. “This will be fun to navigate. Do you think we can avoid them all?”

“If we’re really careful, then yes. They are not too fast for us to avoid them, thankfully. Still, I don’t want to come too close to them, as they might just draw us right into a battle either way.”

Noel quickly found a path between the slowly stomping Adamantortoises. He was patient enough to get between all of them, allowing for them to slip past the humongous beasts, and thus allowing them to search for a Behemoth that they could take on.

It was soon enough that they caught sight of a Behemoth King. Snow was impressed by the sight, but Noel knew that they had found one of the weaker ones. There still were stronger versions of Behemoths out there, but this one would be more than enough for practice against them. Snow had little experience outside beating up Psicom troopers, at least that was Noel’s impression. He thought that it would certainly not hurt to teach Snow the ropes without endangering his life.

“What do I need to know about that beastie?” Snow was cracking his knuckles already. “There has to be a trick to it, right?”

“Topple it before it can rise onto its haunches and regenerate.” Noel drew his blades. “And there is almost no chance we can sneak up on it without shrouds. And since we don’t have any shrouds on us, we will have to take it head on.”

The fight turned out to be quite interesting, to say the least. Noel was ducking and diving under the surprisingly swift movements of the Behemoth King, while Snow kept the beast at bay with mostly tactics that aimed to deflect blows. Even without the powers of a l’Cie, Snow was a formidable fighter all in his own right. And Noel had to acknowledge that Snow was more than well-trained. Still, there was a bit of refinement lacking. He would help that along, to be sure.

“Alright, that should do it.” Noel sighed quietly and sheathed his blades. They had to pull the Behemoth King back to New Bodhum. It was a challenge, but they could accomplish it. It was especially tricky to get the Behemoth past the Adamantortoises, but it worked out somehow. Noel sighed in relief when people heading to the Archylte Steppe from New Bodhum caught up with them, and helped them lug along the heavy beast. They set about working on it right away, while Noel and Snow were allowed to wind down and clean up after the heavy fighting.

“That was quite the feat.” Snow had grabbed something to drink and breathed a sigh of relief. “I did believe that we wouldn’t make it several times.”

Noel laughed quietly. “I get that feeling. Behemoths are tough prey, especially when you go up against them without backup. The two of us alone is just enough to take one down, but I still wouldn’t do it too often, at least not without making sure that we have backup ready to jump in if things go wrong.”

Snow nodded slightly, but still looked slightly unconvinced. It seemed that he was not that sure that hunting Behemoths was all that much of a good idea. But in some cases, it would be inevitable. Behemoths would also come their way. The beasts were unafraid to take on anything. Noel had one time experienced how a group of them had attempted to take down an Adamantortoise. It had almost worked, but the Behemoths had been too impatient, and too focused on fighting against one another at some point.

“I don’t know how often I really want to do it…” Snow sounded hesitant, but then grinned. “I suppose that it is something that you have to get used to. Just like anything.”

“Yes, something like that.” Noel laughed and shook his head. “You should get your brain out of the gutter, and think about it again. You have to be sure that you are strong enough before you tackle your prey. But I think that you are fine now. The Behemoth did give us a bit of trouble, but that is nothing that couldn’t be corrected with a little bit of training.”

Snow groaned softly. “That sounds like a lot more getting up early and suffering for it, too.”

Noel rolled his eyes, then beckoned Snow closer, just to pin him against the wall and kiss him roughly. “You’re complaining too much. Either you still follow your trade, or you put up with it and get in more training, before you join the hunters.”

Snow blushed, but he snuggled up to Noel shortly afterwards. “You’re just horrible. You make it sound like I have no other choice but get up earlier than I’m used to, and get stronger than you, in the end.”

Noel chuckled quietly. “As I said. Quit complaining.”

And he knew just how he could make Snow shut up for good. He pulled the man with him, to the smaller room in the house in New Bodhum Snow had gotten for them. Noel pushed Snow over to the bed, well aware that they had not yet had the time to refresh. And that was just what he needed.

While Snow still was protesting that they were not yet cleaned up, Noel already had stripped down and then more or less sat on Snow’s face. He had straddled Snow’s shoulders, and was pressing his sweaty groin against the face of the man below him. Immediately, he could feel Snow shuddering, and the grip on his waist. There was a definite urgency in the grip. Snow now didn’t want him to go away any more, and that was what Noel had been aiming for.

“There you go. I promised that I would treat you to something when we got back from a successful hunt, and I think that you have earned it.”

Snow mewled and began licking along Noel’s groin, to please him again. Noel was well aware that he had pushed Snow straight into submission, and that had been what he was aiming for. When he was this submissive to him, Snow had no time to complain. Noel just felt Snow getting to work, and he closed his eyes with a pleased groan. As long as Snow was smothered beneath him like that, and out of options to protest, there was a distinct feeling of power that swelled in his chest. He was feeling like a king, and maybe even a little carried away by the feeling.

“That’s the stuff…” Noel was soon panting. Snow had somehow managed to fit most of his groin into that greedy mouth. Not only Noel’s dick was buried inside that hot cavern, but his balls had almost completely slipped in as well. He had known that Snow was skilled, but getting him that far into his mouth was still beyond belief for Noel. He had to cling to the bedsheets and hold still in order to not risk injury. After all, Snow still had teeth, and a careless move could have ended this nice feeling on a very sharp and painful note.

Instead, Noel held still, and soon was rewarded by the feeling of Snow’s tongue laving across his skin. The hot trail of pleasure it left was burning him from the inside out, and Noel relished in it. He wanted more of it, more of what he was feeling like that.

“That’s it…” Noel was panting, and had the hardest time to hold still. “Fuck…” Nothing had ever made him feel like that, and he was damned sure that he was close to losing his mind completely. And he didn’t mind one bit.

With a low, husky cry, Noel emptied his balls into Snow’s throat, panting and barely able to hold still this time. Snow pulled back from him, just a tiny bit, which allowed Noel’s balls to pop free from between his lips. Noel grunted, pulling himself away from Snow, toppling onto the bed. That had been more intense than he would ever have thought. Snow’s own erection was still ignored, and he didn’t seem to mind either. Instead, he crawled up to Noel, kissing him deeply. After a moment of catching his breath, Noel gripped Snow’s erection, but only squeezed it a little.

“You did it again. I’m half tempted to just let you hang there for this time.” Noel licked his lips and then grinned. “But I think I should get you all hot and bothered, and then give you a good fucking. That should do it, right?”

Snow nodded hastily, and kissed Noel again, desperately enough to make Noel grin a little. “You are that eager to get back into action?”

Snow groaned, gripping at Noel and hitting him lightly. “You tell me how you would deal with being all hot and bothered, ready to blow, but without a hot man to make you cum.”

Noel licked his lips, then splayed Snow beneath him. It was almost impossible that a single man could occupy his thoughts that much, and with pleasant ones as well. There was something about it which made him wonder just how tied up with one another they were. Noel nuzzled Snow’s neck lightly, giving him a good hickey.

“There we go. After all, everyone’s supposed to know that you have someone in your life, right?”

Snow mewled in protest, but just pulled Noel close and clung to him, as though he never wanted to let go again. Noel took that as a sign that Snow was more than ready for another round. With a grin, he rubbed against the man beneath him, to get himself nice and hard again. After all, he still felt like he had quite something in him, and he needed to get it out.

“You’re such a mean bastard…” Snow gripped onto Noel’s shoulders, panting and looking like he was about to reconsider. But he still didn’t let go of Noel, not even when Noel needed a little more room to maneuver himself around properly.

“I know. But you just love me the way I am.”

Noel stared down at Snow as he pushed into the man beneath him. There was something between them now. And he just knew that with what he had done, there was no way that he could just go back to doing what he had been sent into the timestream to do.


	11. Chapter 11

Noel blinked into the bright day that dawned on Pulse. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear the faint rumbling of Titan, who was wandering Pulse in search of old species to get rid of. Noel hadn’t quite gotten used to the constant presence of the Pulse Fal’Cie yet, but it was much easier to deal with than the Sanctum Fal’Cie. They had, by now, evacuated more people to Pulse, and were at constant war with the Sanctum and the Psicom troopers. The Pulse Vestige of Bodhum had come back down to New Bodhum, now dominating the landscape.

The past year had brought about a ton of changes. The people had started to understand that the powers of l’Cie were more than useful in these trying times. If anything, they were no less than vital to their survival. They ensured that Fal’Cie could be frightened off, Behemoths taken down more easily, and even Adamantortoises could get taken down. The materials were used to extend New Bodhum on a daily basis, and to craft many necessities. It was truly a time which was used to regain footing in a world that was difficult to navigate for the people so used to Cocoon’s luxuries.

But everything was progressing at a steady pace, and the people could see it. They were able to get more out of the plots of land, and more meat from the creatures that switched up their food. Even flans were starting to look promising, and overall, Noel could see a wholly new future taking shape. If anything, he was the only remaining paradox in this world. One time, he had seen Serah from a distance, an unknown man accompanying her. Lightning was nowhere to be seen, but Noel was sure that she must have been somewhere close by.

“What are you looking at?” Snow’s sleepy voice brought his attention back to the man next to him. Snow still was wearing his frilly clothes, but it had become widely understood that he still was a fully-fledged hunter. That he wouldn’t change up his outfit was just his choice. “You seemed concerned for a moment.”

“It’s nothing. Just thinking about how much we have accomplished over the past year. And damn, it is a lot.” Noel smiled to himself. “We have accomplished something that I never thought possible. And it is good to remind yourself once in a time that you have come a long way.”

“True.” Snow snickered, then pulled Noel down next to him. They sat in the sand, waiting just a little while before they would head out for a hunt. They would most likely head for the Mah’habara Subterra today, where they wanted to salvage a couple of machines. After all, New Bodhum still lacked some of the technical stuff, and salvaging parts of the machines from the Subterra usually helped out with a lot of things.

Noel kept Snow close by, then chuckled about how sleepy Snow still looked. Something hadn’t changed at all. Snow still wanted to sleep in, but there was no way around it. He would have to pull himself together, and head out together with Noel. There was nothing that could be changed about that. The hunters had to be back before midday, so that the parts they had salvaged and the food they had foraged for would still be of use on the same day.

Even though New Bodhum had grown far beyond what they had thought it would, organization was not an issue, nor was food or shelter. They had made sure that everyone had something to do, and had established a central organization to keep track of everything. And that was pretty much all that was needed at the moment. After the matter with the Sanctum was settled, they would be able to turn towards other things.

“I dream about something sometimes.” Snow looked up to Noel with a thoughtful expression. “I dream about the Sunleth Waterscape… about a pillar of crystal, and then something that I can’t explain really, other than a banquet that seems filled with false pretense and the thought that it will be over anyway soon. Doesn’t make an awful lot of sense, does it?”

Noel thoughtfully looked down at Snow. The first dream, he could understand. Sometimes, he too dreamed about a crystal pillar, but he couldn’t make sense of where he had seen it before. And there was someone with pink hair. But seeing that many women had taken to coloring their hair lately, it was impossible to say who it might be. The second dream, however, was something that even he couldn’t make sense of. A banquet, at the end of time? That sounded strange, if not completely ridiculous.

“Does it bother you?” Noel nudged Snow gently, wondering if it really did. “I mean, if it does, you always can talk to me about it. I won’t judge you for it, but I will have trouble understanding it, admittedly. And I’m not sure what to think of it right now, to be honest.”

Snow shrugged lightly. “I still try to make sense of it, but I think that I should ignore it really. It has nothing to do with my life, and I don’t think that it has anything to do with the immediate future. And that is our biggest worry right now, right?”

“Yes.” Noel completely agreed with Snow in that regard. There was something entirely strange about the dreams, but he didn’t think that Snow should worry himself with the meaning of dreams. Dreams were often misleading, especially when too much attention was paid to them.

“I think that we should really head out now. And tonight, you better treat me to something again. After all, the Subterra is really the least favorite place out of all we visit during the week.”

Noel rolled his eyes, ruffling Snow’s hair. “You just want to have confirmation that you indeed will get treated to my energy again. Are you sure that you’re not some kind of energy vampire?”

“No, I can’t be. After all, you are the one who is just fine after our games in bed.” He pouted briefly, and not all too seriously. “I got much stronger than before, and even now, I can’t keep up with you half the time. How do you do that?”

“I just do it.” Noel laughed, nudging Snow into a standing position. “Now come on.”

-*-*-*-

Their evening ended in bed again, as so often. Noel was feeling a little rough today, and belittled Snow verbally. It always happened playfully, but he kept close watch if he was crossing the line. It hadn’t happened before, but he was sure that one day, he would slip up. Which was why he always made sure that he wasn’t taking it too far.

“You really are in the mood today, princess. Are you sure that you don’t just need to be bred by an alpha male?”

Snow groaned in protest, more over the fact that Noel wasn’t hurrying up with his thrusting, rather than about the comment he had made. Noel knew that that didn’t faze Snow, at least not as much as keeping his thrusting shallow and just a fraction of an inch away from his prostate. That really bothered Snow, and he was moving back against Noel, wanting to get more out of the thrusting.

Noel obliged after some time, getting into a good rhythm pretty soon. Snow’s moans of protest turned into panting for more, and he was wriggling beneath Noel from pleasure. Noel had to grip his waist tightly, to prevent Snow from slipping himself off. He just had found a good angle, and didn’t want to lose it. Whenever he came forward, he could feel the tightening of Snow’s ass around him, and he wanted exactly that with every time he came forward. It was just the most satisfying feeling when he was taking Snow like that.

Snow moaned beneath him, trying his best to keep himself together. Noel grinned about the moans, but had a hard time keeping himself composed all the same. There was something about the energy between them which was something to behold. He didn’t stop Snow’s movements, though. It would have left both of them needy and dissatisfied, and with some amount of bad luck, they could end up just not getting finished.

But this time, it would just be another ecstatic finale. Noel could feel his climax building, white hot between his legs. He felt as though he was melting from the heat, and he knew that it would not be long until he would climax right along with Snow. That feeling always was the most elating, and he really wanted to pull it off again.

“I’m close…” Noel was panting heavily, and he was barely coherent between the shallow breaths he took. Snow gave a moan in reply, which hopefully meant that he was close, too. Noel closed his eyes, focusing on giving Snow harder thrusts, which really would topple him over the edge. Snow’s moans grew more high-pitched, and finally, he tightened like a vice around Noel – which was more than enough to prompt Noel to climax, too.

He sank atop Snow, and for a long while, they just laid there, panting for a long while. Noel nuzzled his nose into Snow’s sweaty hair. “You’re just perfect as always.” Noel chuckled quietly, stroking a few fingers along Snow’s side. “You make me go mad, and then you calm me right down again.”

Snow grumbled, turning around to face him. “And you have a way of making me hornier than anything else. I really thought that I would miss out if I ever changed my occupation to something else. But apparently, you are more than enough to keep me occupied.”

Noel burst into laughter, shaking his head in playful disbelief. That was something that only could have come out of Snow’s mouth. And rightfully so. After all, Snow had an immeasurable appetite from his time as a prostitute, but there was something to be proud of if he could satisfy it almost effortlessly.

“You’re a horrible man, Noel Kreiss.” Snow sighed and cuddled up against him, even though he still felt kind of icky. But he didn’t complain. He never complained around Noel. If he did, it was either playfully about the early hours he had to rise, or in earnest if there was something to do that required a significant effort on their part, and that usually involved more than just a simple hunt.

“And you are just as horrible, Snow Villiers.” Noel stretched out, then pulled Snow with him. “We should get cleaned up. And I still want to sit by the seaside for a moment. It does help to fall asleep, I think.”

Snow grumbled, reluctantly getting up. “Alright, I’m getting up already. But I tell you, if I could just go to sleep straight after you fuck my brains out, I probably wouldn’t be so tired in the morning.”

Noel rolled his eyes and gave Snow a small slap on the backside, which was met with a small huff. “You already tried that several times, and you still would be tired. You’re just not very much of a morning person. But you certainly are making up with the sheer zeal you show on the hunt, so I forgive you.”

“Hey, I don’t need anyone forgiving me for loving to sleep!”

They chased each other for a while, until they were at one of the more inland pools close to New Bodhum. It was a warm spring, and they used it to wash down after they had had such a nice romp. The stars were shining above them, and somewhere up there, Cocoon still was shining. There were a lot less people living there, and every day, new problems cropped up which made them want to leave. At one point, Noel was sure, they could get everyone off that floating mass of pretense. And then, they would be able to start a new life altogether.


	12. Epilogue

He remembered shreds of something. Something that had happened in a possible future, at least from the point in time on New Bodhum was founded. The way it had been founded, it differed from that memory. But it made no sense. There was no way that two futures could exist at the same time. And that was what his mind had settled on. Those supposed shreds of memory could be just an illusion, maybe a test by one of the Fal’Cie. Even though Noel never had become a l’Cie, he still had similar powers, and that meant that he was somewhat susceptible to their presence. He had learned to shield himself from suggestions, but that didn’t mean that he was perfectly immune.

“You’re worrying again.” Noel snapped out of his thoughts when Snow approached him, and hugged him from behind. It was late at night, and they really should have been asleep already. “Is it those memories again?”

“I think.” Noel shrugged lightly. Snow had never again mentioned the dreams. Either they were no longer there, or he just was lying about that. But Noel couldn’t imagine that. Snow had been nothing but truthful with him all that time, so he supposed that Snow was no longer burdened by those false memories.

“Are you sure that it is just something that will pass eventually? It seems awfully persistent.”

Noel nodded faintly, more towards that he hoped that it would pass, not that it was persistent. The memories were growing ever fainter. He could no longer put pictures to it, but he had the feeling that something was different. There was something amiss. Something that was of crystal, and dominant in New Bodhum’s landscape. But the only thing there was… was the floating Pulse Vestige, containing Anima, the Fal’Cie which had triggered the purging madness on Cocoon. That could not be it.

“It will sort itself out.” He spoke it out aloud to reassure Snow, but also convince himself. He was the one who had to convince himself. He dreamed about a girl, repeatedly, and he had seen her in the masses in New Bodhum once already. But that could have been a false memory as well. It had happened only one time, and after that, whenever he had really searched the faces of the people before him, he had found nothing that resembled the girl from his memory, faint as it was.

“I hope so. You’ve been talking about it for the last four years now. And we really have other worries.” Snow didn’t sound tired of it, but rather worried that it would still persist. Four years, Noel had been living in New Bodhum already. And still, the feeling that something was amiss persisted.

“I bet it is just Anima teasing me. It still could turn me into a l’Cie.”

Noel knew that it was impossible, though. Snow and he had visited Anima, and it had turned neither of them into a l’Cie. It had refused Snow on the grounds that he already possessed more than enough power for the challenges it had in mind for him in the future, and Noel had been refused… for a reason Anima had refused to explain. There was a supposed mark on him already, but Noel still had found not a single sign on his body that he was in possession of a l’Cie brand. If anything, his body was suspiciously unmarred.

“You’re worrying too much, Noel.” Snow cuddled up against him and smiled lightly. It felt right, to be here. There was just a pinch of strangely misplaced guilt, and he really didn’t want to think about it any longer than necessary. If anything, he just wanted to get rid of those thoughts. They made no sense, and they were constantly getting in the way of more important events. They had to prepare for a bigger invasion of the Sanctum, and one of the Arks had reappeared, which promised to make things interesting as well as difficult. He couldn’t keep himself occupied with thoughts about something that never would be.

He followed Snow back into the house, and for a moment, he stopped at a mirror. Something about it was… odd. He looked at it, saw nothing about himself that was off, but he still got the vibe that something had changed while he had been standing outside. Noel shook his head lightly, holding his temples. It happened again. His memories seemed to be unreliable at best, and Snow had uttered surprise that he no longer remembered talking about an old friend who had taught him everything about the hunt. Noel remembered teaching himself, as he had been kind of an outsider on Cocoon, who very early had moved to Pulse. Why it would be any other way confused him.

“It is just your mind playing tricks on you. Just Anima messing with your mind. After all, it’s the Fal’Cie of the soul.”

That was all that could keep him from going insane with all the pondering there would have been to do. Noel shook his head, and stepped away from the mirror. Tomorrow, he would head towards Oerba, and explore a part of the crystal sand dusted land that had not been properly mapped yet. Rumor had it that something out there was promising an interesting new development for the new inhabitants of Pulse.

While Snow was snoring next to him, Noel stared up at the ceiling of the house. They had been working so closely together for such a long time now. Why was he wishing that he had clarification if that was how it always had been?

It had always been that way. There was no alternative timeline, or other possible future. This was the future that had been carved out by their zeal. And that was the end of it.


End file.
